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Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Chapter I. Out to Sea

Chapter I. Out to Sea

I had this story from one who had no business to tell it to me, or to any other.

I may credit the seductive influence of an old vintage upon the narrator for the beginning of it, and my own skeptical incredulity during the days that followed for the balance of the strange tale. When my convivial host discovered that he had told me so much, and that I was prone to doubtfulness, his foolish pride assumed the task the old vintage had commenced, and so he unearthed written evidence in the form of musty manuscript, and dry official records of the British Colonial Office to support many of the salient features of his remarkable narrative.

I do not say the story is true, for I did not witness the happenings which it portrays, but the fact that in the telling of it to you I have taken fictitious names for the principal characters quite sufficiently evidences the sincerity of my own belief that it MAY be true.

The yellow, mildewed pages of the diary of a man long dead, and the records of the Colonial Office dovetail perfectly with the narrative of my convivial host, and so I give you the story as I painstakingly pieced it out from these several various agencies.

If you do not find it credible you will at least be as one with me in acknowledging that it is unique, remarkable, and interesting.

From the records of the Colonial Office and from the dead man's diary we learn that a certain young English nobleman, whom we shall call John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, was commissioned to make a peculiarly delicate investigation of conditions in a British West Coast African Colony from whose simple native inhabitants another European power was known to be recruiting soldiers for its native army, which it used solely for the forcible collection of rubber and ivory from the savage tribes along the Congo and the Aruwimi.

The natives of the British Colony complained that many of their young men were enticed away through the medium of fair and glowing promises, but that few if any ever returned to their families. The Englishmen in Africa went even further, saying that these poor blacks were held in virtual slavery, since after their terms of enlistment expired their ignorance was imposed upon by their white officers, and they were told that they had yet several years to serve.

And so the Colonial Office appointed John Clayton to a new post in British West Africa, but his confidential instructions centered on a thorough investigation of the unfair treatment of black British subjects by the officers of a friendly European power.

Why he was sent, is, however, of little moment to this story, for he never made an investigation, nor, in fact, did he ever reach his destination. Clayton was the type of Englishman that one likes best to associate with the noblest monuments of historic achievement upon a thousand victorious battlefields—a strong, virile man—mentally, morally, and physically.

In stature he was above the average height; his eyes were gray, his features regular and strong; his carriage that of perfect, robust health influenced by his years of army training.

Political ambition had caused him to seek transference from the army to the Colonial Office and so we find him, still young, entrusted with a delicate and important commission in the service of the Queen.

When he received this appointment he was both elated and appalled.

The preferment seemed to him in the nature of a well-merited reward for painstaking and intelligent service, and as a stepping stone to posts of greater importance and responsibility; but, on the other hand, he had been married to the Hon. Alice Rutherford for scarce a three months, and it was the thought of taking this fair young girl into the dangers and isolation of tropical Africa that appalled him. For her sake he would have refused the appointment, but she would not have it so.

Instead she insisted that he accept, and, indeed, take her with him. There were mothers and brothers and sisters, and aunts and cousins to express various opinions on the subject, but as to what they severally advised history is silent.

We know only that on a bright May morning in 1888, John, Lord Greystoke, and Lady Alice sailed from Dover on their way to Africa.

A month later they arrived at Freetown where they chartered a small sailing vessel, the Fuwalda, which was to bear them to their final destination.

And here John, Lord Greystoke, and Lady Alice, his wife, vanished from the eyes and from the knowledge of men.

Two months after they weighed anchor and cleared from the port of Freetown a half dozen British war vessels were scouring the south Atlantic for trace of them or their little vessel, and it was almost immediately that the wreckage was found upon the shores of St.

Helena which convinced the world that the Fuwalda had gone down with all on board, and hence the search was stopped ere it had scarce begun; though hope lingered in longing hearts for many years. The Fuwalda, a barkentine of about one hundred tons, was a vessel of the type often seen in coastwise trade in the far southern Atlantic, their crews composed of the offscourings of the sea—unhanged murderers and cutthroats of every race and every nation.

The Fuwalda was no exception to the rule.

Her officers were swarthy bullies, hating and hated by their crew. The captain, while a competent seaman, was a brute in his treatment of his men. He knew, or at least he used, but two arguments in his dealings with them—a belaying pin and a revolver—nor is it likely that the motley aggregation he signed would have understood aught else. So it was that from the second day out from Freetown John Clayton and his young wife witnessed scenes upon the deck of the Fuwalda such as they had believed were never enacted outside the covers of printed stories of the sea.

It was on the morning of the second day that the first link was forged in what was destined to form a chain of circumstances ending in a life for one then unborn such as has never been paralleled in the history of man.

Two sailors were washing down the decks of the Fuwalda, the first mate was on duty, and the captain had stopped to speak with John Clayton and Lady Alice.

The men were working backwards toward the little party who were facing away from the sailors.

Closer and closer they came, until one of them was directly behind the captain. In another moment he would have passed by and this strange narrative would never have been recorded. But just that instant the officer turned to leave Lord and Lady Greystoke, and, as he did so, tripped against the sailor and sprawled headlong upon the deck, overturning the water-pail so that he was drenched in its dirty contents.

For an instant the scene was ludicrous; but only for an instant.

With a volley of awful oaths, his face suffused with the scarlet of mortification and rage, the captain regained his feet, and with a terrific blow felled the sailor to the deck. The man was small and rather old, so that the brutality of the act was thus accentuated.

The other seaman, however, was neither old nor small—a huge bear of a man, with fierce black mustachios, and a great bull neck set between massive shoulders. As he saw his mate go down he crouched, and, with a low snarl, sprang upon the captain crushing him to his knees with a single mighty blow.

From scarlet the officer's face went white, for this was mutiny; and mutiny he had met and subdued before in his brutal career.

Without waiting to rise he whipped a revolver from his pocket, firing point blank at the great mountain of muscle towering before him; but, quick as he was, John Clayton was almost as quick, so that the bullet which was intended for the sailor's heart lodged in the sailor's leg instead, for Lord Greystoke had struck down the captain's arm as he had seen the weapon flash in the sun. Words passed between Clayton and the captain, the former making it plain that he was disgusted with the brutality displayed toward the crew, nor would he countenance anything further of the kind while he and Lady Greystoke remained passengers.

The captain was on the point of making an angry reply, but, thinking better of it, turned on his heel and black and scowling, strode aft.

He did not care to antagonize an English official, for the Queen's mighty arm wielded a punitive instrument which he could appreciate, and which he feared—England's far-reaching navy.

The two sailors picked themselves up, the older man assisting his wounded comrade to rise.

The big fellow, who was known among his mates as Black Michael, tried his leg gingerly, and, finding that it bore his weight, turned to Clayton with a word of gruff thanks. Though the fellow's tone was surly, his words were evidently well meant.

Ere he had scarce finished his little speech he had turned and was limping off toward the forecastle with the very apparent intention of forestalling any further conversation. They did not see him again for several days, nor did the captain accord them more than the surliest of grunts when he was forced to speak to them.

They took their meals in his cabin, as they had before the unfortunate occurrence; but the captain was careful to see that his duties never permitted him to eat at the same time.

The other officers were coarse, illiterate fellows, but little above the villainous crew they bullied, and were only too glad to avoid social intercourse with the polished English noble and his lady, so that the Claytons were left very much to themselves.

This in itself accorded perfectly with their desires, but it also rather isolated them from the life of the little ship so that they were unable to keep in touch with the daily happenings which were to culminate so soon in bloody tragedy.

There was in the whole atmosphere of the craft that undefinable something which presages disaster.

Outwardly, to the knowledge of the Claytons, all went on as before upon the little vessel; but that there was an undertow leading them toward some unknown danger both felt, though they did not speak of it to each other. On the second day after the wounding of Black Michael, Clayton came on deck just in time to see the limp body of one of the crew being carried below by four of his fellows while the first mate, a heavy belaying pin in his hand, stood glowering at the little party of sullen sailors.

Clayton asked no questions—he did not need to—and the following day, as the great lines of a British battleship grew out of the distant horizon, he half determined to demand that he and Lady Alice be put aboard her, for his fears were steadily increasing that nothing but harm could result from remaining on the lowering, sullen Fuwalda.

Toward noon they were within speaking distance of the British vessel, but when Clayton had nearly decided to ask the captain to put them aboard her, the obvious ridiculousness of such a request became suddenly apparent.

What reason could he give the officer commanding her majesty's ship for desiring to go back in the direction from which he had just come! What if he told them that two insubordinate seamen had been roughly handled by their officers?

They would but laugh in their sleeves and attribute his reason for wishing to leave the ship to but one thing—cowardice. John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, did not ask to be transferred to the British man-of-war.

Late in the afternoon he saw her upper works fade below the far horizon, but not before he learned that which confirmed his greatest fears, and caused him to curse the false pride which had restrained him from seeking safety for his young wife a few short hours before, when safety was within reach—a safety which was now gone forever. It was mid-afternoon that brought the little old sailor, who had been felled by the captain a few days before, to where Clayton and his wife stood by the ship's side watching the ever diminishing outlines of the great battleship.

The old fellow was polishing brasses, and as he came edging along until close to Clayton he said, in an undertone: "'Ell's to pay, sir, on this 'ere craft, an' mark my word for it, sir.

'Ell's to pay. "What do you mean, my good fellow?

asked Clayton. "Wy, hasn't ye seen wats goin' on?

Hasn't ye 'eard that devil's spawn of a capting an' is mates knockin' the bloomin' lights outen 'arf the crew? "Two busted 'eads yeste'day, an' three to-day.

Black Michael's as good as new agin an' 'e's not the bully to stand fer it, not 'e; an' mark my word for it, sir. "You mean, my man, that the crew contemplates mutiny?

asked Clayton. "Mutiny!

exclaimed the old fellow. "Mutiny!

They means murder, sir, an' mark my word for it, sir. "When?

"Hit's comin', sir; hit's comin' but I'm not a-sayin' wen, an' I've said too damned much now, but ye was a good sort t'other day an' I thought it no more'n right to warn ye.

But keep a still tongue in yer 'ead an' when ye 'ear shootin' git below an' stay there. "That's all, only keep a still tongue in yer 'ead, or they'll put a pill between yer ribs, an' mark my word for it, sir," and the old fellow went on with his polishing, which carried him away from where the Claytons were standing.

"Deuced cheerful outlook, Alice," said Clayton.

"You should warn the captain at once, John.

Possibly the trouble may yet be averted," she said. "I suppose I should, but yet from purely selfish motives I am almost prompted to 'keep a still tongue in my 'ead.

Whatever they do now they will spare us in recognition of my stand for this fellow Black Michael, but should they find that I had betrayed them there would be no mercy shown us, Alice. "You have but one duty, John, and that lies in the interest of vested authority.

If you do not warn the captain you are as much a party to whatever follows as though you had helped to plot and carry it out with your own head and hands. "You do not understand, dear," replied Clayton.

"It is of you I am thinking—there lies my first duty. The captain has brought this condition upon himself, so why then should I risk subjecting my wife to unthinkable horrors in a probably futile attempt to save him from his own brutal folly? You have no conception, dear, of what would follow were this pack of cutthroats to gain control of the Fuwalda. "Duty is duty, John, and no amount of sophistries may change it.

I would be a poor wife for an English lord were I to be responsible for his shirking a plain duty. I realize the danger which must follow, but I can face it with you. "Have it as you will then, Alice," he answered, smiling.

"Maybe we are borrowing trouble. While I do not like the looks of things on board this ship, they may not be so bad after all, for it is possible that the 'Ancient Mariner' was but voicing the desires of his wicked old heart rather than speaking of real facts. "Mutiny on the high sea may have been common a hundred years ago, but in this good year 1888 it is the least likely of happenings.

"But there goes the captain to his cabin now.

If I am going to warn him I might as well get the beastly job over for I have little stomach to talk with the brute at all. So saying he strolled carelessly in the direction of the companionway through which the captain had passed, and a moment later was knocking at his door.

"Come in," growled the deep tones of that surly officer.

And when Clayton had entered, and closed the door behind him:

"Well?

"I have come to report the gist of a conversation I heard to-day, because I feel that, while there may be nothing to it, it is as well that you be forearmed.

In short, the men contemplate mutiny and murder. "It's a lie!

roared the captain. "And if you have been interfering again with the discipline of this ship, or meddling in affairs that don't concern you you can take the consequences, and be damned. I don't care whether you are an English lord or not. I'm captain of this here ship, and from now on you keep your meddling nose out of my business. The captain had worked himself up to such a frenzy of rage that he was fairly purple of face, and he shrieked the last words at the top of his voice, emphasizing his remarks by a loud thumping of the table with one huge fist, and shaking the other in Clayton's face.

Greystoke never turned a hair, but stood eying the excited man with level gaze.

"Captain Billings," he drawled finally, "if you will pardon my candor, I might remark that you are something of an ass.

Whereupon he turned and left the captain with the same indifferent ease that was habitual with him, and which was more surely calculated to raise the ire of a man of Billings' class than a torrent of invective.

So, whereas the captain might easily have been brought to regret his hasty speech had Clayton attempted to conciliate him, his temper was now irrevocably set in the mold in which Clayton had left it, and the last chance of their working together for their common good was gone.

"Well, Alice," said Clayton, as he rejoined his wife, "I might have saved my breath.

The fellow proved most ungrateful. Fairly jumped at me like a mad dog. "He and his blasted old ship may hang, for aught I care; and until we are safely off the thing I shall spend my energies in looking after our own welfare.

And I rather fancy the first step to that end should be to go to our cabin and look over my revolvers. I am sorry now that we packed the larger guns and the ammunition with the stuff below. They found their quarters in a bad state of disorder.

Clothing from their open boxes and bags strewed the little apartment, and even their beds had been torn to pieces. "Evidently someone was more anxious about our belongings than we," said Clayton.

"Let's have a look around, Alice, and see what's missing. A thorough search revealed the fact that nothing had been taken but Clayton's two revolvers and the small supply of ammunition he had saved out for them.

"Those are the very things I most wish they had left us," said Clayton, "and the fact that they wished for them and them alone is most sinister.

"What are we to do, John?

asked his wife. "Perhaps you were right in that our best chance lies in maintaining a neutral position. "If the officers are able to prevent a mutiny, we have nothing to fear, while if the mutineers are victorious our one slim hope lies in not having attempted to thwart or antagonize them.

"Right you are, Alice.

We'll keep in the middle of the road. As they started to straighten up their cabin, Clayton and his wife simultaneously noticed the corner of a piece of paper protruding from beneath the door of their quarters.

As Clayton stooped to reach for it he was amazed to see it move further into the room, and then he realized that it was being pushed inward by someone from without. Quickly and silently he stepped toward the door, but, as he reached for the knob to throw it open, his wife's hand fell upon his wrist.

"No, John," she whispered.

"They do not wish to be seen, and so we cannot afford to see them. Do not forget that we are keeping to the middle of the road. Clayton smiled and dropped his hand to his side.

Thus they stood watching the little bit of white paper until it finally remained at rest upon the floor just inside the door. Then Clayton stooped and picked it up.

It was a bit of grimy, white paper roughly folded into a ragged square. Opening it they found a crude message printed almost illegibly, and with many evidences of an unaccustomed task. Translated, it was a warning to the Claytons to refrain from reporting the loss of the revolvers, or from repeating what the old sailor had told them—to refrain on pain of death.

"I rather imagine we'll be good," said Clayton with a rueful smile.

"About all we can do is to sit tight and wait for whatever may come.

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Chapter I. Out to Sea Chapter One|Chapter|Part|to the|Ocean الفصل(1)|||إلى|البحر الفصل الأول. الخروج إلى البحر Kapitel I. Hinaus aufs Meer Chapter I. Out to Sea Capítulo I. Mar adentro Chapitre I. En mer Capitolo I. In mare aperto Capítulo I. Ao mar Bölüm I. Denize Açılmak 第一章 出海 第一章 出海

I had this story from one who had no business to tell it to me, or to any other. |||||||имел||||||||||| ||||||der|||||||||||| أنا||هذه|قصة||واحد|||لا|شأن|أن|يخبر|ها|إلى|لي|أو|إلى|أي|آخر |||||||had||||||to||||| Ich hatte diese Geschichte von jemandem, der nichts zu tun hatte, um sie mir oder irgendjemand anderem zu erzählen. J'ai eu cette histoire de quelqu'un qui n'avait pas à me la raconter, ni à personne d'autre. Ho avuto questa storia da una persona che non aveva il diritto di raccontarla a me, né a nessun altro. Recebi essa história de alguém que não tinha o direito de contá-la para mim ou para qualquer outro.

I may credit the seductive influence of an old vintage upon the narrator for the beginning of it, and my own skeptical incredulity during the days that followed for the balance of the strange tale. ||||pôvabný|||||víno|||rozprávač(1)||||||||||skeptická neviery|||||||||||| I|might|||alluring, enticing, captivating||||||on|||||||||||skeptical|skeptical disbelief|||||||||||| أنا|أستطيع||||تأثير|من||قديم|نبيذ|على||الراوي|من أجل||بداية|من|القصة|و|سؤالي|خاصتي|الشك|عدم التصديق|خلال||الأيام|التي|تلت|لـ||بقية|من||غريبة|قصة ||||||||||||оповідачеві|||||||||||||||||||||| ||atribuir||||||vieja|vino añejo|sobre|||||||||||||||||||||||| I may credit the seductive influence of an old vintage upon the narrator for the beginning of it, and my own skeptical incredulity during the days that followed for the balance of the strange tale. Je peux créditer l'influence séduisante d'un vieux millésime sur le narrateur pour le début de celui-ci, et ma propre incrédulité sceptique pendant les jours qui ont suivi pour l'équilibre de l'étrange conte. Posso accreditare l'influenza seduttiva di una vecchia annata sul narratore per l'inizio, e la mia incredulità scettica durante i giorni successivi per il resto della strana storia. Posso atribuir ao narrador a influência sedutora de uma velha safra sobre o narrador, e minha própria incredulidade cética durante os dias que se seguiram pelo equilíbrio da estranha história. When my convivial host discovered that he had told me so much, and that I was prone to doubtfulness, his foolish pride assumed the task the old vintage had commenced, and so he unearthed written evidence in the form of musty manuscript, and dry official records of the British Colonial Office to support many of the salient features of his remarkable narrative. ||||||||||||||||||怀疑性||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||Zweifel|||||||||||begonnen||||uneartete|||||||müffig||||||||||||||||||||| ||friendly and lively||discovered|that|||||so|||that||was|prone||uncertainty||foolish||||||||||||||||||||old and stale||||||||||||||||||||notable narrative| ||sociable|anfitrión convivial|||||||||||||propenso||duda|||orgullo tonto||||||||||||desenterró|||||||moho viejo||||||||||||||||más destacadas|características destacadas|||| Lorsque mon hôte convivial a découvert qu'il m'avait tant dit et que j'étais enclin à douter, son orgueil insensé a assumé la tâche que l'ancien millésime avait commencée, et il a donc déterré des preuves écrites sous la forme de manuscrits moisis et de documents officiels secs. du British Colonial Office pour appuyer bon nombre des traits saillants de son récit remarquable. Quando il mio conviviale ospite scoprì che mi aveva raccontato così tanto e che ero incline al dubbio, il suo sciocco orgoglio si assunse il compito che la vecchia annata aveva iniziato, e così portò alla luce prove scritte sotto forma di manoscritti ammuffiti e di aridi documenti ufficiali dell'Ufficio Coloniale Britannico a sostegno di molte delle caratteristiche salienti della sua notevole narrazione.

I do not say the story is true, for I did not witness the happenings which it portrays, but the fact that in the telling of it to you I have taken fictitious names for the principal characters quite sufficiently evidences the sincerity of my own belief that it MAY be true. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||evidenzen||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||representa|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Je ne dis pas que l'histoire est vraie, car je n'ai pas été témoin des événements qu'elle dépeint, mais le fait qu'en vous la racontant j'ai pris des noms fictifs pour les personnages principaux prouve assez la sincérité de ma propre conviction que cela PEUT être vrai. Não digo que a história seja verdadeira, pois não testemunhei os acontecimentos que ela retrata, mas o fato de, ao contá-la, ter escolhido nomes fictícios para os personagens principais evidencia suficientemente a sinceridade de minha própria crença de que pode ser verdade.

The yellow, mildewed pages of the diary of a man long dead, and the records of the Colonial Office dovetail perfectly with the narrative of my convivial host, and so I give you the story as I painstakingly pieced it out from these several various agencies. ||发霉的|||||||||||||||||吻合|||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||verfaulten|||||||||||||||||fügen|||||||||||||||||||||||||| The|||||||||||||||||||fit together|||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||moho en las páginas|||||||||||||||||encajan perfectamente|||||||conviviales|||||||||||con cuidado|reconstruí||||||| Les pages jaunes et moisies du journal d'un homme mort depuis longtemps et les archives du Colonial Office s'accordent parfaitement avec le récit de mon hôte convivial, et je vous raconte donc l'histoire telle que je l'ai minutieusement reconstituée à partir de ces différentes agences.

If you do not find it credible you will at least be as one with me in acknowledging that it is unique, remarkable, and interesting. Se non lo troverete credibile, sarete almeno d'accordo con me nel riconoscere che è unico, notevole e interessante.

From the records of the Colonial Office and from the dead man’s diary we learn that a certain young English nobleman, whom we shall call John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, was commissioned to make a peculiarly delicate investigation of conditions in a British West Coast African Colony from whose simple native inhabitants another European power was known to be recruiting soldiers for its native army, which it used solely for the forcible collection of rubber and ivory from the savage tribes along the Congo and the Aruwimi. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||约翰·克莱顿||格雷斯托克||||||特别的|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||阿鲁维米 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||Clayton||Greystoke|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Aruwimi |||||Colonial|||||||||||||||||||||||Lord Greystoke|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||River D'après les archives du Colonial Office et du journal du défunt, nous apprenons qu'un certain jeune noble anglais, que nous appellerons John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, a été chargé de faire une enquête particulièrement délicate sur les conditions dans une colonie africaine de la côte ouest britannique à partir de dont de simples habitants indigènes, une autre puissance européenne était connue pour recruter des soldats pour son armée indigène, qu'elle utilisait uniquement pour la collecte forcée de caoutchouc et d'ivoire des tribus sauvages le long du Congo et de l'Aruwimi. Dai registri del Colonial Office e dal diario del morto apprendiamo che un certo giovane nobile inglese, che chiameremo John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, fu incaricato di svolgere un'indagine particolarmente delicata sulle condizioni di una colonia britannica della costa occidentale africana, dai cui semplici abitanti nativi era noto che un'altra potenza europea stava reclutando soldati per il suo esercito nativo, che utilizzava esclusivamente per la raccolta forzata di caucciù e avorio dalle tribù selvagge lungo il Congo e l'Aruwimi. A partir dos registros do Colonial Office e do diário do falecido, ficamos sabendo que um certo jovem nobre inglês, a quem chamaremos de John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, foi contratado para fazer uma investigação particularmente delicada das condições em uma colônia africana da costa oeste britânica de cujos simples habitantes nativos outra potência européia era conhecida por estar recrutando soldados para seu exército nativo, que usava apenas para a coleta forçada de borracha e marfim das tribos selvagens ao longo do Congo e do Aruwimi.

The natives of the British Colony complained that many of their young men were enticed away through the medium of fair and glowing promises, but that few if any ever returned to their families. ||||||||||||||lured||||||||||||||||||| ||||||se quejaron||||||||seducidos|lejos de|||||justas y||brillantes||||||||||| Les indigènes de la colonie britannique se sont plaints que beaucoup de leurs jeunes hommes aient été attirés par le biais de promesses justes et élogieuses, mais que peu, voire aucun, ne soient jamais retournés dans leurs familles. Gli indigeni della Colonia britannica si lamentavano del fatto che molti dei loro giovani erano stati attirati via con promesse belle e brillanti, ma che pochi, se non nessuno, facevano ritorno alle loro famiglie. Os nativos da colônia britânica reclamaram que muitos de seus jovens foram atraídos por meio de promessas justas e brilhantes, mas que poucos ou nenhum voltou para suas famílias. The Englishmen in Africa went even further, saying that these poor blacks were held in virtual slavery, since after their terms of enlistment expired their ignorance was imposed upon by their white officers, and they were told that they had yet several years to serve. |||||sogar|||||||||||||||||Einberufung|||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||enlistment|||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||alistamiento|||||||||||||||||||||| Les Anglais d'Afrique sont allés encore plus loin en disant que ces pauvres Noirs étaient tenus en esclavage virtuel, car après l'expiration de leurs conditions d'enrôlement, leur ignorance était imposée par leurs officiers blancs, et on leur disait qu'ils avaient encore plusieurs années à servir. Gli inglesi in Africa si spinsero oltre, affermando che questi poveri neri erano tenuti in virtuale schiavitù, poiché dopo la scadenza dei termini di arruolamento la loro ignoranza veniva imposta dagli ufficiali bianchi e veniva detto loro che avevano ancora diversi anni da scontare. Os ingleses na África foram ainda mais longe, dizendo que esses pobres negros eram mantidos em virtual escravidão, pois, após o término de seu alistamento, sua ignorância foi imposta por seus oficiais brancos, e eles foram informados de que ainda tinham vários anos para servir.

And so the Colonial Office appointed John Clayton to a new post in British West Africa, but his confidential instructions centered on a thorough investigation of the unfair treatment of black British subjects by the officers of a friendly European power. ||||||||||||||||||||se centraban|||||||||||||||||||| E assim o Colonial Office nomeou John Clayton para um novo cargo na África Ocidental Britânica, mas suas instruções confidenciais centraram-se em uma investigação minuciosa do tratamento injusto de súditos negros britânicos pelos oficiais de uma potência européia amiga.

Why he was sent, is, however, of little moment to this story, for he never made an investigation, nor, in fact, did he ever reach his destination. Il motivo per cui fu inviato, tuttavia, è di poco conto per questa storia, perché non fece mai un'indagine, né, di fatto, raggiunse mai la sua destinazione. O motivo pelo qual ele foi enviado é, no entanto, de pouca importância para esta história, pois ele nunca fez uma investigação, nem, de fato, jamais chegou ao seu destino. Clayton was the type of Englishman that one likes best to associate with the noblest monuments of historic achievement upon a thousand victorious battlefields—a strong, virile man—mentally, morally, and physically. Clayton era il tipo di inglese che si preferisce associare ai più nobili monumenti della storia su mille campi di battaglia vittoriosi: un uomo forte e virile, dal punto di vista mentale, morale e fisico.

In stature he was above the average height; his eyes were gray, his features regular and strong; his carriage that of perfect, robust health influenced by his years of army training.

Political ambition had caused him to seek transference from the army to the Colonial Office and so we find him, still young, entrusted with a delicate and important commission in the service of the Queen. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||im||||| L'ambizione politica lo aveva spinto a chiedere il trasferimento dall'esercito all'Ufficio Coloniale e così lo troviamo, ancora giovane, incaricato di un delicato e importante incarico al servizio della Regina.

When he received this appointment he was both elated and appalled. ||||||||erfreut||

The preferment seemed to him in the nature of a well-merited reward for painstaking and intelligent service, and as a stepping stone to posts of greater importance and responsibility; but, on the other hand, he had been married to the Hon. |晋升|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |Beförderung||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Hon L'incarico gli sembrava una meritata ricompensa per un servizio scrupoloso e intelligente, e un trampolino di lancio verso posti di maggiore importanza e responsabilità; ma, d'altra parte, era stato sposato con l'on. Alice Rutherford for scarce a three months, and it was the thought of taking this fair young girl into the dangers and isolation of tropical Africa that appalled him. |Rutherford||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Alice Rutherford da appena tre mesi, e il pensiero di portare questa bella ragazza nei pericoli e nell'isolamento dell'Africa tropicale lo spaventava. Alice Rutherford por apenas três meses, e era a ideia de levar essa bela jovem para os perigos e isolamento da África tropical que o horrorizava. For her sake he would have refused the appointment, but she would not have it so. für||||||||||||||| Per il suo bene avrebbe rifiutato l'appuntamento, ma lei non volle che fosse così. Por causa dela, ele teria recusado a nomeação, mas ela não permitiria.

Instead she insisted that he accept, and, indeed, take her with him. Em vez disso, insistiu para que ele aceitasse e, de facto, a levasse com ele. There were mothers and brothers and sisters, and aunts and cousins to express various opinions on the subject, but as to what they severally advised history is silent. |||||||||||||||||||||||各自|||| |||||||||||||||||||||||jeweils|||| C'erano madri, fratelli e sorelle, zie e cugini che esprimevano diverse opinioni sull'argomento, ma su ciò che consigliavano di volta in volta la storia tace. Havia mães e irmãos e irmãs, e tias e primas para expressar várias opiniões sobre o assunto, mas quanto ao que eles aconselharam individualmente, a história é omissa.

We know only that on a bright May morning in 1888, John, Lord Greystoke, and Lady Alice sailed from Dover on their way to Africa.

A month later they arrived at Freetown where they chartered a small sailing vessel, the Fuwalda, which was to bear them to their final destination. |||||||||租用||||||福瓦尔达||||||||| |||||||||||||||Fuwalda||||||||| Un mese dopo arrivarono a Freetown dove noleggiarono un piccolo veliero, il Fuwalda, che li avrebbe portati alla loro destinazione finale.

And here John, Lord Greystoke, and Lady Alice, his wife, vanished from the eyes and from the knowledge of men.

Two months after they weighed anchor and cleared from the port of Freetown a half dozen British war vessels were scouring the south Atlantic for trace of them or their little vessel, and it was almost immediately that the wreckage was found upon the shores of St. ||||||||||||Freetown|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Due mesi dopo aver levato l'ancora e lasciato il porto di Freetown, una mezza dozzina di navi da guerra britanniche stavano setacciando l'Atlantico meridionale alla ricerca di tracce di loro o del loro piccolo vascello, e quasi subito il relitto fu ritrovato sulle coste di St.

Helena which convinced the world that the Fuwalda had gone down with all on board, and hence the search was stopped ere it had scarce begun; though hope lingered in longing hearts for many years. Helena|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Helena, che convinse il mondo che il Fuwalda era affondato con tutti i passeggeri a bordo, e quindi le ricerche furono interrotte prima ancora di iniziare, anche se la speranza rimase nei cuori ansiosi per molti anni. The Fuwalda, a barkentine of about one hundred tons, was a vessel of the type often seen in coastwise trade in the far southern Atlantic, their crews composed of the offscourings of the sea—unhanged murderers and cutthroats of every race and every nation. |||Barkentine|||||||||||||||Küsten-||||||||||||Abfall||||ungehängt|||Halsabschneider|||||| Il Fuwalda, un barkentine di circa cento tonnellate, era un vascello del tipo che si vede spesso nel commercio costiero nell'estremo sud dell'Atlantico, con equipaggi composti da fuorilegge del mare, assassini e tagliagole impiccati di ogni razza e nazione.

The Fuwalda was no exception to the rule.

Her officers were swarthy bullies, hating and hated by their crew. Ihre|||dunkelhäutig||||||| I suoi ufficiali erano prepotenti, odiosi e odiati dal loro equipaggio. The captain, while a competent seaman, was a brute in his treatment of his men. |||||Seemann||||||||| He knew, or at least he used, but two arguments in his dealings with them—a belaying pin and a revolver—nor is it likely that the motley aggregation he signed would have understood aught else. ||||||||||||||||Befestigungs||||Revolver||||||||Ansammlung||||||etwas| Ele conhecia, ou pelo menos usava, apenas dois argumentos para lidar com eles - um alfinete de segurança e um revólver - e não é provável que o grupo heterogéneo que ele assinou tivesse entendido outra coisa. So it was that from the second day out from Freetown John Clayton and his young wife witnessed scenes upon the deck of the Fuwalda such as they had believed were never enacted outside the covers of printed stories of the sea. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||cobertas|||||| Fu così che dal secondo giorno di partenza da Freetown John Clayton e la sua giovane moglie assistettero sul ponte del Fuwalda a scene che credevano non fossero mai state rappresentate al di fuori delle copertine delle storie di mare stampate.

It was on the morning of the second day that the first link was forged in what was destined to form a chain of circumstances ending in a life for one then unborn such as has never been paralleled in the history of man. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||paralleliert||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||final|||||||ainda não nascido||||||||||| Fu la mattina del secondo giorno che si formò il primo anello di quella che era destinata a formare una catena di circostanze che si concluse con una vita per un nascituro che non ha mai avuto eguali nella storia dell'uomo. Foi na manhã do segundo dia que o primeiro elo foi forjado no que estava destinado a formar uma cadeia de circunstâncias terminando em uma vida para alguém ainda não nascido, como nunca houve paralelo na história do homem.

Two sailors were washing down the decks of the Fuwalda, the first mate was on duty, and the captain had stopped to speak with John Clayton and Lady Alice. Due marinai stavano lavando i ponti della Fuwalda, il primo ufficiale era di turno e il capitano si era fermato a parlare con John Clayton e Lady Alice.

The men were working backwards toward the little party who were facing away from the sailors. Gli uomini stavano lavorando all'indietro verso il piccolo gruppo che era rivolto verso i marinai.

Closer and closer they came, until one of them was directly behind the captain. mais perto||||||||||||| In another moment he would have passed by and this strange narrative would never have been recorded. In un altro momento sarebbe passato e questo strano racconto non sarebbe mai stato registrato. But just that instant the officer turned to leave Lord and Lady Greystoke, and, as he did so, tripped against the sailor and sprawled headlong upon the deck, overturning the water-pail so that he was drenched in its dirty contents. ||||||||||||||als||||||||||||||||||||||durchnässt|||| Mas, nesse preciso instante, o oficial virou-se para deixar Lord e Lady Greystoke e, ao fazê-lo, tropeçou no marinheiro e caiu de cabeça no convés, virando o balde de água de tal forma que ficou encharcado no seu conteúdo sujo.

For an instant the scene was ludicrous; but only for an instant.

With a volley of awful oaths, his face suffused with the scarlet of mortification and rage, the captain regained his feet, and with a terrific blow felled the sailor to the deck. ||Salve||||||überzogen||||||||||||||||||fällte||||| |||||juramentos|||||||||||||recuperou||||||||derrubou||||| Con una raffica di terribili imprecazioni, con il volto scarlatto per la mortificazione e la rabbia, il capitano si rimise in piedi e con un colpo tremendo abbatté il marinaio sul ponte. Com uma saraivada de palavrões horríveis, com o rosto coberto pelo escarlate da mortificação e da raiva, o capitão recuperou os pés e, com um golpe terrível, derrubou o marinheiro no convés. The man was small and rather old, so that the brutality of the act was thus accentuated. |||||||||||||||assim|acentuada

The other seaman, however, was neither old nor small—a huge bear of a man, with fierce black mustachios, and a great bull neck set between massive shoulders. ||||||||||||||||||Schnurrbärten||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||bigodes||||touro||||| As he saw his mate go down he crouched, and, with a low snarl, sprang upon the captain crushing him to his knees with a single mighty blow. ||||||||agachou|||||rosnado|saltou||||esmagando||||joelhos||||poderoso|

From scarlet the officer’s face went white, for this was mutiny; and mutiny he had met and subdued before in his brutal career. |escarlate||||||||||||||||subjulgou|||||

Without waiting to rise he whipped a revolver from his pocket, firing point blank at the great mountain of muscle towering before him; but, quick as he was, John Clayton was almost as quick, so that the bullet which was intended for the sailor’s heart lodged in the sailor’s leg instead, for Lord Greystoke had struck down the captain’s arm as he had seen the weapon flash in the sun. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||lodged|||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||para|||||||||||||||||| Senza aspettare di alzarsi, tirò fuori dalla tasca un revolver e sparò a bruciapelo contro la grande montagna di muscoli che torreggiava davanti a lui; ma, per quanto fosse veloce, John Clayton lo fu quasi altrettanto, cosicché il proiettile destinato al cuore del marinaio si conficcò invece nella gamba di quest'ultimo, poiché Lord Greystoke aveva abbattuto il braccio del capitano non appena aveva visto l'arma lampeggiare al sole. Sem esperar por se levantar, tirou um revólver do bolso e disparou à queima-roupa contra a grande montanha de músculos que se erguia à sua frente; mas, por mais rápido que fosse, John Clayton era quase tão rápido que a bala que se destinava ao coração do marinheiro alojou-se na perna do marinheiro, pois Lord Greystoke tinha abatido o braço do capitão quando viu a arma a brilhar ao sol. Words passed between Clayton and the captain, the former making it plain that he was disgusted with the brutality displayed toward the crew, nor would he countenance anything further of the kind while he and Lady Greystoke remained passengers.

The captain was on the point of making an angry reply, but, thinking better of it, turned on his heel and black and scowling, strode aft. |||||||||||||||||||||||düster|| o|||||||||||||||||||calcanhar||||fechado em carranca|avançou|para ré O capitão esteve a ponto de responder com raiva, mas, pensando melhor, virou os calcanhares e, negro e carrancudo, dirigiu-se para a popa.

He did not care to antagonize an English official, for the Queen’s mighty arm wielded a punitive instrument which he could appreciate, and which he feared—England’s far-reaching navy. |||||verärgern|||||||||||||||||||||||| Não se importava de contrariar um oficial inglês, pois o braço poderoso da Rainha empunhava um instrumento punitivo que ele podia apreciar e que temia - a marinha de longo alcance da Inglaterra.

The two sailors picked themselves up, the older man assisting his wounded comrade to rise. os||||||||||||||

The big fellow, who was known among his mates as Black Michael, tried his leg gingerly, and, finding that it bore his weight, turned to Clayton with a word of gruff thanks. |||||||||||||||vorsichtig|||||||||||||||| ||||||||companheiros|||||||cuidadosamente|||||sustentava||||||||||| Il ragazzone, noto tra i compagni come Black Michael, provò la gamba con delicatezza e, constatando che sopportava il suo peso, si rivolse a Clayton con una parola di ringraziamento burbero. O grandalhão, que era conhecido entre os seus companheiros como Black Michael, experimentou a perna com cuidado e, ao verificar que suportava o seu peso, virou-se para Clayton com uma palavra de agradecimento rude. Though the fellow’s tone was surly, his words were evidently well meant. |||||grimm|||||| |||tom|||||||| Sebbene il tono del collega fosse burbero, le sue parole erano evidentemente ben intenzionate.

Ere he had scarce finished his little speech he had turned and was limping off toward the forecastle with the very apparent intention of forestalling any further conversation. |||||||||||||||||Vorschiff|||||||verhindern||| mal|||||||||||||mancando|saindo||ele|castelo da proa||||aparente|||antecipando||| Prima ancora di terminare il suo discorso, si voltò e si diresse zoppicando verso il ponte di comando, con l'evidente intenzione di evitare qualsiasi altra conversazione. Mal acabara o seu pequeno discurso, virou-se e coxeava em direção ao castelo de proa, com a intenção muito aparente de evitar qualquer outra conversa. They did not see him again for several days, nor did the captain accord them more than the surliest of grunts when he was forced to speak to them. ||||||||||||||||||grimmigsten|||||||||| |||||||||||||conceder|||||mais mal-humorado||grunhidos|||||||| Non lo videro più per diversi giorni, né il capitano accordò loro più di un semplice grugnito quando fu costretto a parlare con loro. Não o voltaram a ver durante vários dias, e o capitão não lhes deu mais do que os grunhidos mais desagradáveis quando foi forçado a falar com eles.

They took their meals in his cabin, as they had before the unfortunate occurrence; but the captain was careful to see that his duties never permitted him to eat at the same time. I pasti venivano consumati nella sua cabina, come prima dello sfortunato evento; ma il capitano era attento a che i suoi doveri non gli permettessero mai di mangiare contemporaneamente.

The other officers were coarse, illiterate fellows, but little above the villainous crew they bullied, and were only too glad to avoid social intercourse with the polished English noble and his lady, so that the Claytons were left very much to themselves. ||||rudes|analfabetos|companheiros|||||vilanesco|||amedrontavam||||||||||||polidos||||||||||||||| Gli altri ufficiali erano gente rozza e analfabeta, ma poco al di sopra della banda di furfanti che maltrattavano, ed erano fin troppo contenti di evitare i rapporti sociali con il raffinato nobile inglese e la sua signora, cosicché i Clayton furono lasciati molto a se stessi.

This in itself accorded perfectly with their desires, but it also rather isolated them from the life of the little ship so that they were unable to keep in touch with the daily happenings which were to culminate so soon in bloody tragedy. Questo di per sé si accordava perfettamente con i loro desideri, ma li isolava anche un po' dalla vita della piccola nave, tanto che non potevano tenersi in contatto con gli avvenimenti quotidiani che sarebbero culminati così presto in una sanguinosa tragedia.

There was in the whole atmosphere of the craft that undefinable something which presages disaster. ||||||||embarcação||indescritível||||

Outwardly, to the knowledge of the Claytons, all went on as before upon the little vessel; but that there was an undertow leading them toward some unknown danger both felt, though they did not speak of it to each other. externamente|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||sentiram|||||||||| All'esterno, per quanto ne sapevano i Clayton, tutto continuava come prima sulla piccola nave; ma che ci fosse una risacca che li portava verso un pericolo sconosciuto lo sentivano entrambi, anche se non ne parlavano tra loro. On the second day after the wounding of Black Michael, Clayton came on deck just in time to see the limp body of one of the crew being carried below by four of his fellows while the first mate, a heavy belaying pin in his hand, stood glowering at the little party of sullen sailors. ||||||ferimento||||||||||||||manco|||||||||para baixo||||||||||||fixando|pino|||||olhando com raiva||||||sombrios| Il secondo giorno dopo il ferimento di Black Michael, Clayton arrivò in coperta giusto in tempo per vedere il corpo flaccido di uno dei membri dell'equipaggio che veniva portato sotto da quattro dei suoi compagni, mentre il primo ufficiale, con un pesante spillone di assicurazione in mano, guardava con occhiataccia il gruppetto di marinai arcigni.

Clayton asked no questions—he did not need to—and the following day, as the great lines of a British battleship grew out of the distant horizon, he half determined to demand that he and Lady Alice be put aboard her, for his fears were steadily increasing that nothing but harm could result from remaining on the lowering, sullen Fuwalda. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||constantemente|||||||||||||| Clayton non fece domande - non ne aveva bisogno - e il giorno seguente, mentre le grandi linee di una corazzata britannica si stagliavano all'orizzonte, fu quasi deciso a chiedere di essere imbarcato insieme a Lady Alice, poiché i suoi timori aumentavano sempre di più che rimanere sulla bassa e arcigna Fuwalda avrebbe potuto causare solo danni.

Toward noon they were within speaking distance of the British vessel, but when Clayton had nearly decided to ask the captain to put them aboard her, the obvious ridiculousness of such a request became suddenly apparent. Verso mezzogiorno si trovavano a poca distanza dal vascello britannico, ma quando Clayton aveva quasi deciso di chiedere al capitano di farli salire a bordo, l'evidente ridicolaggine di una simile richiesta divenne improvvisamente evidente.

What reason could he give the officer commanding her majesty’s ship for desiring to go back in the direction from which he had just come! Quale motivo poteva dare all'ufficiale che comandava la nave di Sua Maestà per desiderare di tornare indietro nella direzione da cui era appena arrivato? What if he told them that two insubordinate seamen had been roughly handled by their officers? E se avesse detto loro che due marinai insubordinati erano stati trattati in modo rude dai loro ufficiali?

They would but laugh in their sleeves and attribute his reason for wishing to leave the ship to but one thing—cowardice. Non avrebbero fatto altro che ridere di gusto e attribuire il motivo del suo desiderio di abbandonare la nave a una sola cosa: la vigliaccheria. John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, did not ask to be transferred to the British man-of-war.

Late in the afternoon he saw her upper works fade below the far horizon, but not before he learned that which confirmed his greatest fears, and caused him to curse the false pride which had restrained him from seeking safety for his young wife a few short hours before, when safety was within reach—a safety which was now gone forever. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||contido||||||||||||||||||||||||| It was mid-afternoon that brought the little old sailor, who had been felled by the captain a few days before, to where Clayton and his wife stood by the ship’s side watching the ever diminishing outlines of the great battleship. |||||||||||||derrubado|||||||||||||||||||||||contornos||||

The old fellow was polishing brasses, and as he came edging along until close to Clayton he said, in an undertone: ||||polindo|peças de latão|||||aproximando-se||||||||||tom de voz Il vecchio stava lucidando gli ottoni e, mentre si avvicinava a Clayton, disse, sottovoce: "'Ell’s to pay, sir, on this 'ere craft, an' mark my word for it, sir.

'Ell’s to pay. Ell deve pagare. "What do you mean, my good fellow? "Cosa intende dire, mio buon amico?

asked Clayton. "Wy, hasn’t ye seen wats goin' on?

Hasn’t ye 'eard that devil’s spawn of a capting an' is mates knockin' the bloomin' lights outen 'arf the crew? |||||cria (do diabo)|||capitão||||batendo||maldito||pra fora|metade|| "Two busted 'eads yeste’day, an' three to-day. |dois cabeças quebradas ontem, e três hoje.||||||

Black Michael’s as good as new agin an' 'e’s not the bully to stand fer it, not 'e; an' mark my word for it, sir. "You mean, my man, that the crew contemplates mutiny? ||||||||motim

asked Clayton. "Mutiny! Rebelião

exclaimed the old fellow. "Mutiny!

They means murder, sir, an' mark my word for it, sir. "When?

"Hit’s comin', sir; hit’s comin' but I’m not a-sayin' wen, an' I’ve said too damned much now, but ye was a good sort t’other day an' I thought it no more’n right to warn ye.

But keep a still tongue in yer 'ead an' when ye 'ear shootin' git below an' stay there. "That’s all, only keep a still tongue in yer 'ead, or they’ll put a pill between yer ribs, an' mark my word for it, sir," and the old fellow went on with his polishing, which carried him away from where the Claytons were standing.

"Deuced cheerful outlook, Alice," said Clayton. muito||perspectiva|||

"You should warn the captain at once, John.

Possibly the trouble may yet be averted," she said. "I suppose I should, but yet from purely selfish motives I am almost prompted to 'keep a still tongue in my 'ead. |||||||||||||impelido||||||||

Whatever they do now they will spare us in recognition of my stand for this fellow Black Michael, but should they find that I had betrayed them there would be no mercy shown us, Alice. "You have but one duty, John, and that lies in the interest of vested authority.

If you do not warn the captain you are as much a party to whatever follows as though you had helped to plot and carry it out with your own head and hands. "You do not understand, dear," replied Clayton.

"It is of you I am thinking—there lies my first duty. The captain has brought this condition upon himself, so why then should I risk subjecting my wife to unthinkable horrors in a probably futile attempt to save him from his own brutal folly? ||||||||||||||sujeitando|||||||||fútil|||||||||insensatez You have no conception, dear, of what would follow were this pack of cutthroats to gain control of the Fuwalda. |||||||||||||assassinos|||||| "Duty is duty, John, and no amount of sophistries may change it.

I would be a poor wife for an English lord were I to be responsible for his shirking a plain duty. |||||||||||||||||evitando||| I realize the danger which must follow, but I can face it with you. "Have it as you will then, Alice," he answered, smiling.

"Maybe we are borrowing trouble. While I do not like the looks of things on board this ship, they may not be so bad after all, for it is possible that the 'Ancient Mariner' was but voicing the desires of his wicked old heart rather than speaking of real facts. "Mutiny on the high sea may have been common a hundred years ago, but in this good year 1888 it is the least likely of happenings.

"But there goes the captain to his cabin now.

If I am going to warn him I might as well get the beastly job over for I have little stomach to talk with the brute at all. So saying he strolled carelessly in the direction of the companionway through which the captain had passed, and a moment later was knocking at his door. ||||||||||escada de acesso|||||||||||||||

"Come in," growled the deep tones of that surly officer. ||rosnou||||||mal-humorado|

And when Clayton had entered, and closed the door behind him:

"Well?

"I have come to report the gist of a conversation I heard to-day, because I feel that, while there may be nothing to it, it is as well that you be forearmed. ||||||essência||||||||||||||||||||||||||

In short, the men contemplate mutiny and murder. "It’s a lie!

roared the captain. rugiu|| "And if you have been interfering again with the discipline of this ship, or meddling in affairs that don’t concern you you can take the consequences, and be damned. ||||||||||||||interferindo||||||||||||||condenado I don’t care whether you are an English lord or not. I’m captain of this here ship, and from now on you keep your meddling nose out of my business. The captain had worked himself up to such a frenzy of rage that he was fairly purple of face, and he shrieked the last words at the top of his voice, emphasizing his remarks by a loud thumping of the table with one huge fist, and shaking the other in Clayton’s face. |||||||||frenesi||||||||||||gritou||||||||||||observações||||batendo||||||||||||||

Greystoke never turned a hair, but stood eying the excited man with level gaze. ||virou|||||observando||||||olhar

"Captain Billings," he drawled finally, "if you will pardon my candor, I might remark that you are something of an ass. |||disse em tom arrastado|||||||||||||||||

Whereupon he turned and left the captain with the same indifferent ease that was habitual with him, and which was more surely calculated to raise the ire of a man of Billings' class than a torrent of invective. |||||||||||despreocupação|||||||||||||||ira|||||||||torrent||invectiva

So, whereas the captain might easily have been brought to regret his hasty speech had Clayton attempted to conciliate him, his temper was now irrevocably set in the mold in which Clayton had left it, and the last chance of their working together for their common good was gone. |considerando que|||||||||||apressada||||||||||||irrevogavelmente||||molde||||||||||||||||||||

"Well, Alice," said Clayton, as he rejoined his wife, "I might have saved my breath.

The fellow proved most ungrateful. Fairly jumped at me like a mad dog. "He and his blasted old ship may hang, for aught I care; and until we are safely off the thing I shall spend my energies in looking after our own welfare. |||maldita||||enforcar||seja o que for|||||||||||||||||||||bem-estar

And I rather fancy the first step to that end should be to go to our cabin and look over my revolvers. |||gostaria|||||||||||||||||| I am sorry now that we packed the larger guns and the ammunition with the stuff below. They found their quarters in a bad state of disorder. |||alojamentos||||||

Clothing from their open boxes and bags strewed the little apartment, and even their beds had been torn to pieces. |||||||espalhadas||||||||||rasgadas|| "Evidently someone was more anxious about our belongings than we," said Clayton.

"Let’s have a look around, Alice, and see what’s missing. A thorough search revealed the fact that nothing had been taken but Clayton’s two revolvers and the small supply of ammunition he had saved out for them. |minuciosa|||||||||||||||||||||||||

"Those are the very things I most wish they had left us," said Clayton, "and the fact that they wished for them and them alone is most sinister.

"What are we to do, John?

asked his wife. "Perhaps you were right in that our best chance lies in maintaining a neutral position. "If the officers are able to prevent a mutiny, we have nothing to fear, while if the mutineers are victorious our one slim hope lies in not having attempted to thwart or antagonize them. ||||||||||||||||||||||pequena|||||||||||

"Right you are, Alice.

We’ll keep in the middle of the road. As they started to straighten up their cabin, Clayton and his wife simultaneously noticed the corner of a piece of paper protruding from beneath the door of their quarters. ||||arrumar|||||||||||||||||sobressaindo|||||||

As Clayton stooped to reach for it he was amazed to see it move further into the room, and then he realized that it was being pushed inward by someone from without. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||de fora Quickly and silently he stepped toward the door, but, as he reached for the knob to throw it open, his wife’s hand fell upon his wrist.

"No, John," she whispered.

"They do not wish to be seen, and so we cannot afford to see them. |||||||||||nos permitimos||| Do not forget that we are keeping to the middle of the road. Clayton smiled and dropped his hand to his side.

Thus they stood watching the little bit of white paper until it finally remained at rest upon the floor just inside the door. Then Clayton stooped and picked it up.

It was a bit of grimy, white paper roughly folded into a ragged square. |||||||||dobrado|||desfiado| Opening it they found a crude message printed almost illegibly, and with many evidences of an unaccustomed task. Translated, it was a warning to the Claytons to refrain from reporting the loss of the revolvers, or from repeating what the old sailor had told them—to refrain on pain of death. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||abster-se||||

"I rather imagine we’ll be good," said Clayton with a rueful smile. ||||||||||melancólica|

"About all we can do is to sit tight and wait for whatever may come. ||||||||esperar||||||